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Huntsville’s amazing population boom continues into 2024
Like it or not (and there are certainly plenty of people on both sides of the issue), Huntsville is growing rapidly, with thousands of new residents coming to the Rocket City every year.
But just how fast is the city growing? Recent estimates show a city with exponential population growth, and a growing infrastructure to accommodate.
Huntsville’s population growth is real
The 2020 census showed Huntsville to be Alabama’s largest city, surpassing Birmingham for the first time in more than a century. The Rocket City’s population in 2020 was listed at 216,344.
An estimate by World Population Review has Huntsville’s 2024 population at 228,455 — an increase of more than 12,000 residents — which averages to a little more than 3,000 new residents every year.
That’s not the whole story, either. The Huntsville metro area has increased in population by more tan 40,000 people since the 2020 census — 10,188 new residents per year, to be exact.
The Huntsville metro’s estimated growth over the years:
| Year | Population | Increase | % |
| 2024 | 535,447 | 10,491 | 1.96% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 524,956 | 10,491 | 2% |
| 2022 | 514,465 | 10,491 | 2.04% |
| 2021 | 503,974 | 9,282 | 1.84% |
| 2020 | 494,692 | 22,868 | 4.62% |
World Population Review estimates Huntsville’s metro population to reach nearly 590,000 by 2029.
How the population boom is affecting Huntsville
Huntsville’s rapid growth has sparked area-wide construction of new apartments and mixed-use developments.
As well, Huntsville recently ranked among the top 5 cities in the country for job growth in a SmartAsset study.
Whether you are a fan of the growth or not, it’s happening, and city officials have tried to stay ahead of the growth.
Traffic has been a controversial by-product of the growth in the city, a problem Mayor Tommy Battle addressed in his State of the City address.
“With growth, we may not be able to provide an 18-minute commute for everyone, but we’re working to keep traffic moving, safe and manageable. None of these projects would be possible without careful planning, wise spending and strong relationships with our regional, state and federal partners.”
Mayor Tommy Battle
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